A patient lift apparatus is known which includes a U-shaped base. The U-shaped base of the unit has four casters provided; two casters are provided on the inside of the "U" and two casters are provided at the end of each distal leg of the "U". The base supports an overlying stretcher frame member in cantilevered fashion from the base of the "U" to one side of the frame. Typically, between the base and the cantilevered frame, there is provided apparatus for raising and lowering the frame with respect to the base.
Use of the device is easy to understand. Specifically, a patient on a hospital bed is placed on a stretcher sheet--the strong layer of fabric capable of supporting the patient in tensile suspension from the frame. Thereafter, the base is moved under the bed from one side while the rectilinear frame is lowered about the patient. When the rectilinear frame is lowered about the patient, the stretcher material is fastened to the frame. Thereafter, when the frame is lifted, the patient is lifted with the frame.
In Schaal et al. U.S. Pat. No. 4,939,801 entitled PATIENT TRANSPORTING AND TURNING GURNEY issued Jul. 10, 1990, an apparatus for lifting, inverting, and lowering a patient from a hospital bed to an operating table is shown. The apparatus includes a "U-shaped" base with an overlying rectilinear frame. The stretcher frame of the Schaal et al. device is capable of being pivoted. Like the patient lift apparatus described above, a lift mechanism is provided from the base to the support of the stretcher frame.
In the Schaal et al. device, turning of the patient can occur--from either front to back or back to front. In either case, a second canvas sheet is utilized. This sheet is fastened from the same frame over the top of the patient. When the sheet is securely attached, the frame is inverted. When this occurs, the now upper sheet is removed and the patient lowered either onto a hospital bed or alternatively to an operating table.
Unfortunately, either the above described patient lifting device or the Schaal patient inverting lift is typically stored in hospital corridors when not in use. Since both the base and the frames utilized overlying the base are large, especially in width, such storage is other than convenient. Further, many hospitals are characterized by having other than the wide conventional corridors. This being the case, there is a need for the fabrication of a patient lift apparatus which can be conveniently stored.
Devices for the weighing of patients have been complicated. Further, they have not heretofore been combined with apparatus capable of raising, transporting, and placing the patient between locations in a hospital. Instead, separate handling of patient is required for weighing.